Thursday, April 26, 2012

FO: Baby Bobbi Bear

I'm calling him finished, this Baby Bobbi Bear, but I still may go back and embroider that nose. I tried embroidering it twice this morning but ripped out both attempts. Too loose and the embroidery threads hang, too tight and the nose becomes lumpy, and then there's the impossibility of making a perfect triangle ... aargh. I've cut a nose from felt and glued it to his face, figuring if/when I try embroidering again it will give me a template and provide a firmer canvas for the stitches.

As I mentioned before the fabric is a bit thinner than I would like, and as a result the white stuffing shows through in several places. I'm considering washing and drying this little bear to see if that helps. What do you think? It's superwash wool. Would it felt up a bit? Or shrink a bit? If I knit this bear again I'd definitely use smaller needles than suggested for a denser knit fabric.

It's been an education in picking up stitches, making this little bear. After finishing his arms the first time I peered more closely at the pattern photo to detect that line of selvedge stitches from his armpit to his shoulder. Mine didn't look as tidy as that, so I ripped out to do it again. I wasn't sure how the ears would work, but I'm happy with them now that they're done. Having those columns of decreases at the side of the head certainly helps to keep them lined up squarely!

Hopefully sometime today I'll have a chance to knit this little sweater for him. I think he looks a bit bare (bear?) as is, and I like the idea of adding another colour to break up all that periwinkle blue.

8 comments:

I think he looks fantastic! Superwash shouldn't felt, but it depends on the process used to make it superwash. What it might do is bloom a bit, which may fill in your gaps a little better. It certainly doesn't hurt to try!And I say - make that poor bear a sweater! It's still cold out!